The present invention relates to the device taught in .[.application Ser. No. 07/046,722.]. .Iadd.U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079, .Iaddend.which is capable of both inputting X, Y, coordinates of a .[.light emitting or absorbing.]. stylus into a computer and scanning or digitizing graphic information on a planar surface .[.such as paper.].. As in .[.application Ser. No. 07/046,722.]. .Iadd.U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079 .Iaddend.the design is such that one or more photodetectors used to determine the Cartesian coordinates of the stylus are capable of digitizing graphic information contained on .[.sheet material such as paper..]. .Iadd.planar material. .Iaddend..Iadd.This invention differs from U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079 by claiming that a rangefinder may be used to determine the position of the stylus. This invention is significantly different from that taught by Brown et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,526. The rangefinder used here to determine the position of a stylus eliminates the need for the vertical orientation of the video camera apparatus 125 as described by Brown et al. .Iaddend.